Silanating reagents have been developed which react with and coat surfaces, such as silica surfaces. Monofunctional silanating reagents have been used to form monolayer surface coatings, while di- and tri-functional silanating reagents have been used to form polymerized coatings on silica surfaces, providing reaction sites for covalent attachment of various materials to the surface. Many silanating reagents, however, produce coatings with undesirable properties including instability to hydrolysis and an inadequate ability to mask the silica surface.